Kickstarter: Now an iOS App

Just when you thought Kickstarter couldn’t get any better, the company has just created an iOS app. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding site that allows the general population to contribute monetary funds to various startups.

In return, contributors receive various goods depending on pledge level. Kickstarter is filled with many promising startups spanning a wide range of industries. The company has put a lot of effort into developing the app, and it shines accordingly. I had a chance to play around with the new iOS app today. Here’s what you can expect.

Using the New Kickstarter App

After the Kickstarter app loads (free) top Kickstarter Staff Picks appears. Each one of these is from a different startup category. Learning about each startup is easy to do, since Kickstarter has loaded video clips from each startup directly on the app’s homepage. At the bottom of the app homepage are three functions: Kickstarter (which brings you back to the homepage); Activity (which lists any recent account activity); and Log In (where users can log into an account).

Tapping on the Activity button will bring you to a discovery page where you can view and find different campaigns. Tapping on the arrow next to the Staff Picks title brings you to another page. This page features Staff Picks, Popular startups, Starred pages, and a simple search. You can also browse through various Kickstarter categories by tapping on the one that interests you most.

The app is simple to use, allows a quick Facebook login, and makes finding a startup to support easy. Kickstarter did a great job at developing this app. At the time of this writing, Kickstarter has not made any plans to expand the app to Android or other platforms, though this is bound to happen sometime soon. For the time being, iOS users you have a first crack at the new Kickstarter app. You’ll find that sponsoring startups is easier than ever with this app!

To Pledge or Not to Pledge

One thing that became obvious about the new Kickstarter app is that it’s a lot easier to pledge money using this app. Why? Tapping a button on your iPhone seems so much less serious that click on a pledge button using your computer. We’ve become so used to buying things with iPhones that sending out ten or fifteen bucks to a new startup is all too simple. Even though Kickstarter is home to many excellent startups, keep in mind that you won’t get equity in a company when you make a pledge.

That said, the new app is really easy to use for both investors and startups alike. If you’ve been wondering about Kickstarter and all it offers, take the time to check out the new app. Even if you don’t send funds to any startup, you can still take advantage of all that the app offers, and you’ll have a chance to see some great startups in the making. The new Kickstarter app for iOS is available right now in the Apple App Store.